Kiss it Better
by Windy Waters
Summary: He holds onto her memory, that's all she is now. A memory.


He's nine the first time he sees her; Harry had brought him to St. Mungo's, without Albus and James, to meet the newest member of their family.

His first impression was how loud she was. They had stepped off the elevator and a baby's cry was the most noticeable noise on this floor, and it grew louder as they approached Ginny's room.

Teddy watches Harry's normally bright emerald eyes cloud over with worry as he enters the room. "Gin? What's wrong with her?"

The older red-head looked up at her husband, near tears herself. "She… She just won't stop… I don't know why, and the healers are baffled too…"

The young Metamorph approaches the bed, watching the baby in wonder. He changes his hair a few times, using only bright colours to attract her attention.

Lily had paused for a breath, her light eyes opening to fix on the changing strands of hair. A tiny huff escapes her, and Teddy holds his hands out. "Can I… Can I try holding her Ginny?" he asked softly.

Ginny, who was stunned that Lily had finally stopped, could only nod in response to Teddy's question.

"Go sit over there, Ted..." Harry motioned toward the chair against the wall.

As Teddy moved away; Lily's eyes followed, entranced by the colours. Harry scoops up his youngest gently, and passes her carefully into Teddy's waiting arms.

Later, Ginny and Harry would say that that's when it all started and they shouldn't have been surprised by the developments later on.

Harry sits on the bed, wrapping his arms around his wife. Their hushed conversation blocking their ears from the only sentence Teddy uttered to baby Lily, whose eyes were now dry of tears. "I promise… I'll always look after you…"

_It's so cold here… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you…_

"Why do's you haf ta go Teddy?" Two year old Lily asked, her lower lip trembling violently as she fought to stop the tears escaping her warm chocolate eyes. "Why is you leaving me?"

Eleven year old Teddy knelt down, pulling a package from his pocket. "I have to go to school Lils; we talked about this…" he sighs softly, reaching out to brush the tears from her face. "I wish you could come too… But… I brought you something…"

Her eyes dry almost at once. "You did…?" she asks quietly, reaching for the package in his hands.

He passed the box to her, watching in amusement as she tears the lid open to reveal at light blue bear inside.

"Wow…" she gasps quietly, lifting it out of the box and hugging it to her chest.

Teddy grinned, changing his hair to match the bear. "Now it'll be like I've never left,"

Lily frowns and looks up at him. "You're a better Teddy… You're a _real_ Teddy…"

"Lil, I-," Teddy's reply is cut off by the sound of the trains whistle and Ginny stepping forward to inform him if he didn't get on now he'd be left behind. He sighs and hugs Lily gently before climbing back on board the train.

Her tears had started back up again, that was the first thing he noticed as he leant out the window. It broke his heart to watch the small girl crying. As the train started to move, she ran as fast as her short legs could carry her. He could see her lips forming his name over and over again; Teddy had to bite down on his lower lip as he waved back, the train rounded the corner; and she was gone.

_Your Dad keeps coming to see me. I can't look at him, it's too hard. He wants me out of my slump; I just can't face the world without you._

Thirteen year old Teddy steps through the Potter's front door Christmas morning and is almost instantly bowled over by four year old Lily. "You're here!" she cries, overly excited at his presence.

"I told you I would be," he laughs, tickling her sides. "Let me up Lily, or else I can't give you your gift,"

With the promise of a present, Lily rolls off of him. "What'd you get me Ted?" she asks, her eyes shining brightly.

"First, I need you to close your eyes. My Grandma helped me pick it…" He begins, watching as she complies with his request. Teddy reaches into his pocket and withdraws a silver charm bracelet; making certain she hasn't peeked, Teddy gently clasps it on her wrist. "Okay, you can look…"

Her eyes flutter open and she gazes down at the charms in wonder. "It's so pretty Teddy…"

"It's all things that reminded me of you, look…" He reaches out, turning the bracelet. "There's a little pencil, because you're always drawing… A snowflake, because you prefer winter and then there's a moon,"

Lily smiles happily and once again throws herself into his arms. "I love it, thank you Ted,"

_I dream of you, all the time. You're smiling and happy, and _alive_. You look just like you did that day, the day I couldn't protect you. The day I broke my very first promise…_

It's Albus' first year of Hogwarts; Teddy's eighteen and graduated last year, Lily's nine and full of tears because _"Why can't I go too?" _and "_It's not fair! I'm the only one that can't!"_

But Teddy doesn't notice, because Victoire's asked for his help in putting her trunk on board. So he goes along with her and before he knows it, they're making out in the prefect's carriage. It doesn't feel perfect but it is nice, and things can only go up from here right?

James, being the big mouth he is and oh-so-like Uncle Ron, had seen and gone to blurt it out to everyone else. Lily's complaints about being left behind had stopped and her tears had started to flow harder because _her_ Teddy was snogging _Victoire_ of all people and it just wasn't fair because he was hers first!

Harry and Ginny had invited him to come back home with them, and his agreement would generally have Lily over the moon. But instead she sits against the window seat of the car and remains silent the entire trip home. Once there the tiny pouting redhead went and locked herself in her bedroom, the way the door slammed had caused everyone else to jump, because that couldn't _possibly_ be their Lily…

Teddy volunteers to brave the storm, because generally he's the only one that soothe her. So he heads up and knocks on the door.

"Go away!" comes the muffled cry from behind the door. Teddy sighs and twists the knob, pushing his way into her room. His eyes widen at the mess inside, there were torn up shreds of paper everywhere and all his gifts had been carelessly thrown everywhere.

"Lily, what's wrong?" he asks opening the door to her cupboard and kneeling on the floor.

She sniffles, turning her back on him to face the wall. "I said go away. I don't want to talk to you Theodore,"

Teddy frowns, reaching out to rub her back. "Since when? I thought I was your best friend, Lily?"

"You like Victoire better, you love her more…" Lily whimpered, resting her head on her knees.

"What?" he frowned slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"Jamie said you were snogging Victoire, and that you were going to marry her. If you marry her, it means you love her the most," she replied in her little girl logic.

"I could never lover her more then I love you, Lily." Teddy tells her seriously as he reaches in to pull her out of the cupboard. "I swear, no matter what Lily, I'll always love you… Okay?"

She sighs heavily, lifting her brown orbs to meet his currently grey ones. "Pinky swears?" she asks, holding out her hand. Teddy can't but smile as he links their two fingers together.

_James took me out today, Godric… I swear you were everywhere. In every flash of red and brown I saw you._


End file.
